Friday, 3 February 2012

SU:T and Wine

970 Whitehorse Road Box Hill, VIC3128

How do you know that you have become a serious food blogger? For some people it’s the reflexive reaching for a camera whenever food is within sight. For others it’s obsessive-compulsive research on every single restaurant before visiting. As for myself, it’s when I realised that whenever the lighting in a restaurant falls below operating-theatre levels of brightness, my insides drop to somewhere in the general vicinity of my knees. So when I walked into SU:T and Wine and realised that the majority of the restaurant will never see the light of day, I had to remind myself that I am here to review the food, not to take magazine quality photos.

On our way into the restaurant, I was virtually having a panic attack at the prospect of taking photos in near darkness. As went further in however, I realised that all the tables were bathed in a golden glow. It turns out that there was a lamp suspended poker style above every single table! I could have wept with relief!

With the lighting issue resolved, I was left to appreciate just how nice the interior of SU:T and Wine really is. Everything is gloriously dark and sumptuous with leather and wood, and the wall studded with bottles at the entrance is quite a sight. The vents above each and every table promises BBQ-ing good times for the future.

The menu was split into three different sections; the main dishes, the BBQ plates, and the lunch specials. It also pays to note that SU:T and Wine is licensed, and that there are several cocktails on the menu that looked both mouth-watering and affordable. Shame it’s way too early in the day for alcomohol (Chris is such a killjoy), so we just ordered a couple things off the lunch specials instead.

Chicken Bulgogi Lunch Box ($9.9)

Being in a Korean restaurant, Chris has to order something-bulgogi. Because that something has always been beef, he decided it’s time to try something different, and ordered the Chicken Bulgogi Lunch Box ($9.90). What came out of the kitchen surprised us both. A shallow wooden bucket was overflowing with a rainbow of goodies, including sweet chicken pieces, a golden slice of egg omelette, a creamy pair of octopus balls (hurhur), pickles wrapped sushi-style, and a fresh-as green salad. What delighted me the most was the unexpected dressing on the salad – a mellow yet crisp green apple mayo. I wish I knew how to replicate it, or at least where to buy it! The portion was on the small side but it was sufficient, especially given the recent heat.

This dish was so photogenic that I’m chucking a few gratuitous shots in. Who knew rice could look so good?

Spicy Pork Bibimbap ($9.9)

Once again I went with my impulses without thinking things through, and I ordered a piping hot Spicy Pork Bibimbap ($9.9) on a piping hot Melbourne summer day. Just one look at the colours in this bowl lets you know you’re having a healthy, balanced meal. Mum would be proud.

Mixed Bibimbap

Add in the little dish of spicy soybean paste, mix it altogether, let it sit for a bit, and you’re ready to eat. The flavours of this dish were earthy and comforting, but the best part was finding little patches of rice blistered to a golden crunch by the hot stone bowl.

I’m used to having to venture to the city for my Korean fix, so I totally wasn’t expecting to find such a gem so close to home. From what I’ve heard the BBQ here is not only good quality, but good value as well. So once the weather cools down, I’ll definitely be back for a meat-fest, washed down with a couple of glasses of sangria.

Their BBQ is fantastic, in fact as a result of your review I went there last week with my little brother! He'd never had Korean BBQ before and he was pretty much blown away. It is quite expensive though. Hey if you want to chat about food/restaurants/eating out in Melbourne send me an email! lennon.mccartney9 @ gmail . com

That's awesome to hear; what's not to like about cooking meat at the table anyway :p And thanks for your email, I'll be sure to get in touch if something comes up, and feel free to drop me a line too, my email is in the sidebar :)